How to Make Time and Save Money for Surf Trips

Isn’t it interesting how we usually have either spare time or money, but rarely both? For most of us, increasing our salary is much more difficult than decreasing the money that we spend. Stating that we don’t have the finances or time to spend in the water is usually the excuse we give for spending our time locked inside. However, surfing on a small budget is possible if you follow these simple lifestyle changes.

Simplify, simplify, simplify.

The best thing you can do to enable your surf addiction is to learn how to minimize your life all-around. The first step is to cut down on your belongings so that every item meets two criteria:
Do you need it?
Do you love it?
If not, get rid of it. Be cut-throat.
Donate, sell, or throw out the things you haven’t used in years – like those unworn Pegasus sweaters from Aunt Betty. Surround yourself with objects that have value and bring you joy rather than objects that are there just because you don’t know what else to do with them.

How this saves time: Once you minimize your belongings, you’ll spend less time organizing, cleaning, and shopping for them. This means you’ll have more time to spend in the water.

How this saves money: You’ll love living in a home with your favorite things so much that you’ll question whether you truly want another useless item to look after. With this mindset, an empty savings account, credit card debt, and a home filled with junk will be things of the past.

Kill Off the Time-Wasters

Would you rather spend three hours on Facebook or three hours in the water? Unfortunately, scrolling through Stephanie Gilmore’s Instagram just isn’t the same as conquering those big waves she shreds yourself. Minutes whittled away on social media, watching bad reality shows, or attending events you regrettably RSVP’d to are minutes you could be out catching waves. Complete your chores and essential tasks during the time you’d usually spend on social media or watching TV. Set a time limit on these tasks and events so that they don’t monopolize your entire day. That way, when spare hours open up during your week, you can use them to surf rather than catch up with dreadful errands.

How this saves time: Slashing time-wasters means that you will have more hours to complete the things you love to do (like, ahem, surf) and the things you need to do.

How this saves money: Attending events you don’t want to often costs money on fuel, entrance, and/or food. Canceling television and minimizing social media not only decreases your monthly cable and data bills but also lowers your exposure to advertisements. Little by little, these small changes add up to big savings.

Instigate Surf Dates with Your Friends

Being the one to initiate a surf-meetup not only combines surfing and socializing, but often saves money because spending time in the ocean – thankfully – still happens to be free. It’s no coincidence that surfing boosts happiness and decreases stress, especially when the session is shared with friends. Instead of waiting for an expensive offer to hang out with your friends, invite them to a day at the beach! Chat between sets, cheer each other on, and stay active by surfing with friends. Small surf days are perfect for teaching buddies who haven’t had the chance to learn yet and are sure to build a strong bond (and potentially silly memories). Next time your friends want to meet up, head to the beach. After all, it’s cheap and infinitely more fun.

How this saves time: Instead of having two separate plans to surf and see friends, combining them means more time in the water and less time landlocked.

How this saves money: Socializing in restaurants, movie theatres, and shopping centers often drains your wallet without giving a fulfilling experience in return. Carpooling together is not only environmentally more friendly but also dilutes the cost of transportation.

For Surfaris, Opt for Local or Cheap Destinations

Every surfer knows that a cheap destination with perfect, uncrowded waves is considered the holy grail of an ideal surf trip. While coveted, these surf spots are not as hard to find as you might think. When you get the time to embark on a surfari, look for a destination that is close-by, offers cheap (or free) accommodation, and has nice waves during the shoulder tourist season – when prices for food and lodging tend to be much cheaper. Your budget in towns where you have a friend to stay with or your currency is strong will allow you to travel longer rather than in places that are far, highly-sought, or nestled in a tourist trod city. For example, countries like Indonesia, Costa Rica, Portugal, or Nicaragua are generally much cheaper than Australia, New Zealand, or the United States. Searching smart in this realm will pay off bountifully.

How this saves time: Saving for a cheaper destination takes less time than saving for a stint somewhere expensive. You’ll save time by working less in order to pay for the same length of holiday.

How this saves money: Staying with friends, Couchsurfing, camping, or sleeping in hostels will slash your accommodation costs. Traveling somewhere nearby decreases transportation spending, as does carpooling with friends. Food and extras will ultimately be cheaper in countries where your currency is strong for the same product.

Above all, surfing often on a small budget is possible if you follow the simple equation of spending less than you earn. Ultimately, you need to have your priorities pointing towards the direction you want to go in order to do what you love. If you do that, you’ll find yourself enjoying wave after wave without the stress of time or money constraints.

About The Author

Chantae Reden is Senior Editor of The Salt Sirens and an action sports journalist obsessed with all things related to the ocean. You can find her personal stories on Chantae.com, where she shares unfiltered accounts of her travels.